Smith had just retired from the Birmingham Police Department
and taken the job in Fairfield when she was killed.

On March 29, the
Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals remanded the case to Jefferson County, asking
that the judge reconsider the sentence after reweighing aggravating and
mitigating circumstances.

According to an
amended sentencing order filed Friday, Jefferson County Circuit Judge David
Carpenter cited negative influence from Jackson's father and testimony from
Smith's family members as contributing factors in his decision to amend the
sentence.

Officer Smith's
sister and her god-sister, both testifying on the family's behalf, did not
request the death penalty, nor did Smith's mother and another sister in letters
read in court.

State
Rep. John Rogers and then-Fairfield police Chief Pat Mardis urged the jury to recommend
Jackson be put to death.

The jury's 10-2
vote for life imprisonment is considered "overwhelming support" by law and
warranted significant consideration in sentencing, the ruling said.

"Needless to say,
we're upset about it," Fairfield Police Chief Leon Davis said. Fairfield
officers can draw some comfort from the fact that he will remain in prison for
the rest of his life, he added, but they are concerned about the message the
amended sentence could send.

"She was a good
person and a good officer whose life was ended for no reason," Davis said. "We
just wanted to make sure he got the full extent of punishment under the law."

Jackson was
represented on appeal by attorneys with the Equal Justice Initiative, a
Montgomery nonprofit that focuses on disparities in the Alabama legal system.

"We were pleased
that the judge followed the recommendation of the jury," EJI Executive Director
Bryan Stevenson said. "Alabama is really the only state in the country where
the death sentence that was imposed on Mr. Jackson was even legally possible. Almost
every state gives the jury discretion, and in this case the jury believed the proper
punishment was life in prison without parole."

During the penalty phase of a capital case, prosecutors
highlight aggravating factors, such as whether a defendant has previous felony
convictions for violent crimes. The defense addresses any mitigating factors,
such as evidence that an offense was committed under extreme mental or
emotional disturbance.

During Jackson's
trial, the state presented two aggravating circumstances - that the shooting
occurred while Jackson was on probation for previous felony convictions and
that he caused Smith's death while trying to hinder the enforcement of laws.

The defense
countered with testimony from Jackson's mother, who described his family's
dynamics throughout his childhood. Evidence was also presented indicating Jackson
was abused as a child.